In the quiet town of Waldoboro, Maine, the community was shaken by the unexpected death of Levern Kelley, a 53-year-old White woman known to her friends and family as "Bernie". Her body was discovered in her home on Genthner Road on the morning of Saturday, August 9, 2025. Concern grew after Kelley, a reliable employee at Pen Bay Hospital for over a decade, failed to show up for work. A subsequent 911 call for a well-being check at approximately 8:25 a.m.
led Waldoboro Police and Lincoln County Sheriff's deputies to her residence, where they made the grim discovery. The family had last heard from her two days prior.
The Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit-Central was called in to handle the investigation. An autopsy conducted by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner the following day confirmed the community's fears: Levern Kelley's death was ruled a homicide. While authorities determined her death was a result of foul play, the specific cause of death was not publicly released as the investigation proceeded. Described as a warm, loving, and generous soul with a breathtaking smile, Kelley was a beloved mother to two daughters and a doting grandmother to three grandsons. She had lived in the area for many years, having grown up in Lincolnville and resided in Union for over two decades before moving to Waldoboro.
The investigation quickly led to a suspect, 49-year-old James Clark of Damariscotta. Authorities determined that Clark had fled Maine following Kelley's death. On August 15, 2025, an arrest warrant was issued for Clark, charging him with murder. Through a coordinated effort between the Maine State Police, the Maine Information and Analysis Center and law enforcement in Florida, detectives tracked Clark to the South Daytona area. That evening, at approximately 6:40 p.m., he was arrested without incident at the Red Carpet Inn by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. Clark, who has a lengthy criminal history that includes multiple assault convictions, was held in Florida awaiting extradition back to Maine to face the murder charge.
